Packaging method

ABSTRACT

A sealed container has a closure which includes a label attached to an outturned flange of the container by a peripheral band of pressure sensitive adhesive on the label such that the label is adapted to be peeled back at one of its corners to dispense articles one at a time from the container and to be then pressed back into place until another article is to be dispensed, the closure being produced by a method which uses a backing sheet to present a path attached to the label by such adhesive and disposed within the confines of the band for protecting the articles against contact with the adhesive. A single coating of the pressure sensitive adhesive is initially used to laminate the backing sheet with a label sheet and the patches are then preformed by die cutting the backing sheet. The labels may also be preformed by die cutting and/or by die perforating of the label sheet. The waste materials of the sheets are then removed, presenting the closures, each consisting of a patch still glued to the label and exposing only the pressure sensitive adhesive band on the label around the patch.

Bore] Primary Examiner-Robert L. Spruill Att0rneySchmidt, Johnson, Hovey& Williams Feb. 13, 1973 .l l PACKAGING METHOD [57] ABSTRACT [75]Inventor: Mark Borel, Prairie Village, Kans. A sealed container has aclosure which includes a label attached to an outturned flange of thecontainer [73 Asslgnee Jules Bore] & Kansas Clty by a peripheral band ofpressure sensitive adhesive on [22] Filed: Aug. 19, 1971 the label suchthat the label is adapted to be peeled back at one of its corners todispense articles one at a [21] Appl l73l02 time from the container andto be then pressed back into place until another article is to bedispensed, the [52] U.S. Cl. ..53/41, 156/69, 156/248, clo r beingproduce by a me hod which uses a 156/268, 206/56 AB backing sheet topresent a path attached to the label [51] Int. Cl. ..B65b 7/28 by suchadhesive and disposed within the confines of [58] Field of Search..53/l4, 38, 41, 296; 156/69, the band for protecting the articlesagainst contact 156/248, 249, 253, 257, 263, 268, 516; with theadhesive.

206/56 AB A single coating of the pressure sensitive adhesive isinitially used to laminate the backing sheet with a [56] References cuedlabel sheet and the patches are then preformed by die UNITED STATESPATENTS cutting the backing sheet. The labels may also be preformed bydie cutting and/or by die perforating of 2,596,179 5/1952 Seymour..206/56 AB the label sheet The waste materials of the sheets are thenremoved, presenting the closures, each consisting 3574026 4/1971 f ii'56/248 X of a patch still glued to the label and exposing only thepressure sensitive adhesive band on the label around the patch.

5 Claims, 10 Drawing Figures PATENTEDFEB 13 1915 3,715,856

l W'w. 10.

INVENTOR. 44 46 Mark 5 are/ F'.0. BY 62 w /447;/

A 77' ORNEYS.

PACKAGING METHOD An important object of my present invention is toprovide a packaging method which permits the entire range of short-runto long-run packaging jobs to be carried out more efficiently and lessexpensively than has heretofore been made possible through use ofpreviously suggested methods.

Another important object of the instant invention is the provision of apackaging method which may be performed without need for heat-sealingdevices or other special equipment as has, for the most part, beenrequired in known methods used in attempts to accomplish theadvantageous end results hereof.

Still another important object of the present invention is to provide apackaging method which permits the container closures to be produced andsupplied in any one of a number of different forms according to thedesires of the packer or his particular needs.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary, perspective view of a backing sheet used in thepackaging method forming the subject matter of my present invention,showing the step of applying a releasing agent to one face thereof;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary, perspective view of the backing sheet showingthe step of applying adhesive to the coating of said agent;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary, perspective view of a label sheet showing thestep of printing the opposite face thereof;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary, perspective view of the laminated sheetsshowing the die cutting and perforating of the label sheet;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary, perspective view showing the die cutting of thebacking sheet;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary, perspective view showing identification indiciaon the labels for the contents of the packages;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary, perspective view showing the step of separatingthe sheets;

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary, perspective view of the step of applying theclosures to the containers;

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary, perspective view of the closed containers; and

FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing one of the containers partiallyopened for dispensing its contents.

While the use of pressure sensitive adhesive in the production ofcontainer closures is well known, it is usually necessary inconventional methods for the packer to utilize special equipment in theapplication of the closures to the containers. The closure to which thepresent invention relates includes a label that has a continuous band ofsuch adhesive along the marginal edge of the inner face of the label.The label is releasably attached to the container by the adhesive ofsuch band being bonded to the normally upper face ofa flat, continuous,outturned flange on the container disposed flush with its access openingso that the contents of the container may be dispensed from time to timeby merely peeling back one corner of the label and then pressing it backinto place. Such closures are also provided with a patch glued to theinner face of the label within the confines of the adhesive band andfitting across the access opening of the container to protect itscontents.

Normally the precut patches are laid in place into the access opening ofthe containers and upon its contents,

one at a time, by hand or by use of machinery, whereupon the top orlabel sheet is coated with the adhesive. It is then necessary to feedthe label sheet onto the container flanges and onto the patches, pressit into place and cut it into individual labels, again by hand or by useof special equipment. Such delicate procedure is expensive, slow,complicated and not universally adaptable to the many differentprocedures demanded by present-day packaging requirements.

Other methods of producing closures of the particular nature aboveoutlined require the use of heat sealing equipment in their applicationto the container, a decided drawback from the standpoint of the packerwhose demands call for the much simplified method of the presentinvention and the wide variances in form and procedures made possiblethereby.

To be made clear at the outset is the fact that pressure sensitiveadhesives hereinafter referred to, as well as their compositions andcharacteristics, are well known, and various types are readily availableon the open market. Moreover, the nonfibrous backing sheet from whichthe patches are formed, together with the release coating thereon, aswell as the paper label sheet, may all be of conventional nature. It iscontem plated that my method shall have the important advantage ofrequiring neither the use of equipment nor of materials not previouslyused and well known in one form or another in the fields of packaging,closures and labels.

Referring then to FIG. 1 of the drawing, a nonfibrous backing sheet 10may be initially coated on one face 12 thereof with a suitable releasingagent 14 to facilitate separation of a paper label sheet 16 (FIG. 3)therefrom prior to closing of containers 18 (FIGS. 8-10). One face 20 ofthe sheet 16 may be provided with printing 22 (including advertisingmatter if desired) to set off a number of blank spaces 26 in preference,perhaps, to such printing being provided on face 20 after sheets 10 and16 are laminated together (FIG. 4) by pressure sensitive adhesive 28coated over the releasing agent 14 of sheet 10 (FIG. 2), it beingunderstood that in FIGS. 4 and 5 the coating 28 is in direct contactwith that face 24 of sheet 16 opposite to face 20 thereof.

The aforementioned steps may be performed by supplying a collatingmachine with rolls of sheets 10 and 16 such that the coatings l4 and 28are applied as the sheet 10 is advanced. To this end, the longitudinalmargins of the sheets 10 and 16 may be provided with sprocket openings30 and 32 respectively in the usual manner. The sprocket wheels of themachine advance the sheets 10 and 16 in unison between a pair ofpressing rollers or the like to effect the lamination thereof byadhesive 28 between the proximal inner faces of the sheets 10 and 16.

Thereupon, by use of aligned holes 30 and 32, the joined sheets 10 and16 are advanced to a die cutter which operates on outer face 36 of thesheet 10 so as to provide polygonal cuts 34 in sheet 10 only, presentinga plurality of protective patches 38 in the sheet 10 held in placesolely by the adhesive 28 between the patches 38 and the label sheet 16.

Prior to, at the same time, or subsequently, the sheet 16 may, ifdesired, be die cut and/or perforated. For example, longitudinal die cutlines 40 and transverse lines of perforation 42 are shown in FIG. 6.Either or both of these lines 40 and 42 may be omitted and whethereither is die cut or perforated depends on the manner of subsequent use.Lines 40 and 42 are so spaced along the outlines of the spaces 26 thatthe latter become slightly larger in both directions than thecorresponding patches 38.

Spaces 26 are of the same size and shape as peripheries 44 of continuousflanges 46 extending outwardly from and flush with access openings 48 ofcontainers 18. Patches 38 have the same configuration as that of spaces26 and openings 48 but are slightly larger in both directions than theopenings 48 and are somewhat smaller in both directions than spaces 26.

The finished product shown in FIG. 6, when supplied to the user maythen, through use of computers, or otherwise, be supplied with indicia50 in the spaces 26 which constitutes the data necessary for designatingthe nature of the contents 52 (such as watch parts) of the containers18.

In the event that lines 40 are die cut into sheet 16, each series ofclosures may then be peeled from the sheet in strips as illustrated byFIG. 7 which causes the patches 38 to separate therewith from sheet 10,leaving openings 54 in scrap piece 56. The releasing agent 14facilitates such separation, and the marginal strips 57 of the sheet 16which contain the sprocket wheel holes 32 also become scrap.

There is presented, therefore, bands 58 of adhesive 28 around each patchrespectively, and when a series of closures is applied to a row ofcontainers 18, having their flanges 46 joined by lines of perforation 60in the manner shown by FIG. 8, the bands 58 become attached to the flattop faces of corresponding flanges 46. The patches 38 slightly overlapthe flanges 46 adjacent the openings 48 to preclude all contact of theparts 52 with the adhesive 28.

The row of closed containers 18 shown in FIG. 9 may then be separated bytearing along lines of perforations 42 and 60 or, if perforations 42 and60 are not initially provided, the top paper portion and the flanges 46may be cut apart to present individual closed containers 18 as seen inFIG. 10.

As an alternative, the entire sheet 16 may be applied to banks ofcontainers 18 and thereafter cut apart or be separated along lines40, 42and 60 if such lines are initially provided. Still further, individualclosures may be stripped away and then applied one at a time tocontainers 18.

That is to say, the method as hereinabove described permits the closureor top for the container 18 to be initially manufactured inany one of anumber of desirable configurations. These include continuous forms to beprinted with the indicia 50 by any pin-fed unit, such as a computer. Orthe product may be produced in rolls to be subsequently provided withthe indicia by tag type imprinters. Still further, the entire label maybe preprinted by the, original manufacturer of the package tops. Theseare in addition to the illustrated form of individual sheets as shown inFIG. 5.

In any event, the method permits use of individual labels for separatecontainers or of groups of labels suitably perforated so that a numberof labels are simultaneously affixed to a plurality of containers in oneoperation, and then torn apart by hand or, if volume justifies, thegroups of finished containers may be die cut apart or otherwiseseparated.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desiredto be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. In a method of packaging through use of containers having accessopenings surrounded by outwardly extending flanges, said methodincluding the steps of:

laminating a pair of sheets by use of a pressure sensitive adhesivebetween the proximal inner faces thereof;

thereupon cutting one of said sheets while the same are stuck togetherto present a plurality of individual protective patches attached to saidinner face of the other sheet by said adhesive;

separating said sheets such as to leave only the patches connected bysaid adhesive to said inner face of said other sheet with each patchsurrounded by a band of said adhesive remaining on said inner face ofsaid other sheet;

closing said openings of a bank of said containers by placing thepatches over the openings of corresponding containers and pressing thebands into attachment with proximal flanges of the containers; and

subdividing said other sheet to present an outer cover attached by itsband to the flange of each container respectively with each cover havinga patch still connected to said inner face by said adhesive.

2. In a method of packaging as claimed in claim 1 wherein prior tolamination of said sheets said inner face of said one sheet is firstcoated with a releasing agent and then coated with said adhesive.

3. In a method of packaging as claimed in claim 1 wherein prior to theseparation step, and while the sheets are stuck together, said othersheet is cut to present a series of elongated strips, each strip beingsubdivided transversely thereof after the openings are closed to presentsaid covers.

4. In a method of packaging as claimed in claim 1 wherein prior to theseparation step, and while the sheets are stuck together, said othersheet is cut to present a series of elongated strips and perforatedtransversely of said strips to present a plurality of said covers, eachstrip being subdivided along the perforations after the openings areclosed.

5. In a method of packaging through use of containers having accessopenings surrounded by outwardly extending flanges, said methodincluding the steps of:

laminating a pair of sheets by use of a pressure sensitive adhesivebetween the proximal inner faces thereof;

thereupon cutting one of said sheets while the same are stuck togetherto present a plurality of individual protective patches attached to saidinner face of the other sheet by said adhesive;

separating said sheets such as to leave only the patches connected bysaid adhesive to said inner face of said other sheet with each patchsurrounded by a band of said adhesive remaining on said inner face ofsaid other sheet",

subdividing said other sheet to present a plurality of outer covers eachhaving a patch still connected to its inner face by said adhesive; and

closing the openings of said containers by placing one patch over theopening of each container respectively and pressing the bands intoattachment with prominal flanges.

1. In a method of packaging through use of containers having accessopenings surrounded by outwardly extending flanges, said methodincluding the steps of: laminating a pair of sheets by use of a pressuresensitive adhesive between the proximal inner faces thereof; thereuponcutting one Of said sheets while the same are stuck together to presenta plurality of individual protective patches attached to said inner faceof the other sheet by said adhesive; separating said sheets such as toleave only the patches connected by said adhesive to said inner face ofsaid other sheet with each patch surrounded by a band of said adhesiveremaining on said inner face of said other sheet; closing said openingsof a bank of said containers by placing the patches over the openings ofcorresponding containers and pressing the bands into attachment withproximal flanges of the containers; and subdividing said other sheet topresent an outer cover attached by its band to the flange of eachcontainer respectively with each cover having a patch still connected tosaid inner face by said adhesive.
 1. In a method of packaging throughuse of containers having access openings surrounded by outwardlyextending flanges, said method including the steps of: laminating a pairof sheets by use of a pressure sensitive adhesive between the proximalinner faces thereof; thereupon cutting one Of said sheets while the sameare stuck together to present a plurality of individual protectivepatches attached to said inner face of the other sheet by said adhesive;separating said sheets such as to leave only the patches connected bysaid adhesive to said inner face of said other sheet with each patchsurrounded by a band of said adhesive remaining on said inner face ofsaid other sheet; closing said openings of a bank of said containers byplacing the patches over the openings of corresponding containers andpressing the bands into attachment with proximal flanges of thecontainers; and subdividing said other sheet to present an outer coverattached by its band to the flange of each container respectively witheach cover having a patch still connected to said inner face by saidadhesive.
 2. In a method of packaging as claimed in claim 1 whereinprior to lamination of said sheets said inner face of said one sheet isfirst coated with a releasing agent and then coated with said adhesive.3. In a method of packaging as claimed in claim 1 wherein prior to theseparation step, and while the sheets are stuck together, said othersheet is cut to present a series of elongated strips, each strip beingsubdivided transversely thereof after the openings are closed to presentsaid covers.
 4. In a method of packaging as claimed in claim 1 whereinprior to the separation step, and while the sheets are stuck together,said other sheet is cut to present a series of elongated strips andperforated transversely of said strips to present a plurality of saidcovers, each strip being subdivided along the perforations after theopenings are closed.